Fasteners



y 1965 c. A. SECKERSON 3,182,941

FASTENERS.

Filed Feb. 13, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 11, 1965 c. A. SEVCKERSON 3,182,941

' FASTENERS Filed Feb. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 6 Claims. (Cl. 248-74) The present invention relates to an improved fastener which is particularly, although not exclusively suitable for holding a member to a slotted support. i

According to the invention there is provided an assembly of a member held to a support with the aid of a fastener, the support having two spaced apart slots, the fastener being channel-shaped and having two limbs joined by a Web, a foot at the free end of each limb and a neck of reduced width adjacent the foot, a leading edge at the free end of each foot and a prong in each side edge of the foot adjacent the neck, the prongs in each limb being twisted in one angular sense with respect to the plane of the neck and the leading edge being twisted in the opposite sense with regard to the plane of the neck, the said member being embraced by the fastener and the limbs being engaged through the slots in the support whereby the neck of each limb extends transversely of a slot and the prongs in each limb engage behind the support to prevent withdrawal of the fastener and said member therefrom.

A preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a side elevation, end elevation and underplan of a fastener,

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the line IVIV of FIGURE 1,

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are respectively an underplan, side elevation and front elevation of a retainer,

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the fastener of FIGURES 1 to 3 holding a reflector panel to a heating tube with the aid of the retainer of FIGURES to 7,

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a modification of the fastener of FIGURES 1 to 3 holding a member to a support,

FIGURE 10 shows details of a part of the fastener of FIGURE 9, and

FIGURE 11 shows a detail of a further modification of the fastener 10.

In FIGURES 1 to 3 a fastener is indicated generally at 10 and in FIGURES 5 to 7 a retainer is indicated at 11.

The fastener 10 is resilient .and is preferably formed from strip steel which is rendered resilient and preferably rustproof after being manufactured to the shape shown. The retainer 11 which is also preferably formed from strip steel is relatively rigid.

The fastener 10 is substantially U- or channel-shaped having two limbs 12 and 13 joined by a web 14.

Each limb 12 and 13 has a neck 15 and 16 respectively, of reduced width intermediate its length and the free end of each limb which extends beyond the neck constitutes a foot 17 and 18 respectively each of which has a leading end 25 and 26 respectively. The corners of each foot 17 and 18 adjacent the neck are bent out of the plane of the neck so as to constitute two pairs of prongs 21, 22 and 23, 24.

The prongs in each foot 17 and 18 are bent out of the plane of the adjacent neck to opposite sides thereof and to approximately the same extent.

Each foot 17 and 18 is twisted about diagonal bend lines a and b respectively so that, as shown most clearly 3,132,941 Patented May 11, 1965 in FIGURE 4, the prongs in each limb are twisted in one angular sense with regard to the plane of the neck and the leading end of the foot of each limb is twisted in the opposite sense.

When the fastener 10 is unstressed the limbs 12 and 13 are inclined inwardly, but in use, as shown in FIGURE 8 the limbs are held in parallel by the retainer 11. When the limbs are held generally parallel the leading edge of the leading ends 25 and 26 are substantially parallel and the planes containing the necks 15 and 16 are also substantially parallel.

The retainer 11 is approximately rectangular and has its longitudinal edges upturned to form flanges 27 and 28 and its central portion 29 bowed to accommodate a tubular member. I

Spaced parallel slots 30 and 31 are formed in the retainer. The direction of the slots is inclined to the transverse of the retainer and the width of each slot is slightly greater than the normal distance from the point of each of the prongs 21 to 24 of the fastener 10 to the plane of the neck 15 or 16 respectively.

The fastener 10 and retainer 11 are used, as shown in FIGURE 8, to secure a heat diffuser, or reflector such as a reflective aluminum sheet 32 which is formed with spaced apertures 33 and 34, to a cylindrical heating tube 35.

In order to make the assembly shown in FIGURE 8 the reflector 32, which may be bowed as at 36 to accom modate the shape of the tube 35, is seated on the tube and the retainer 11 is held beneath the tube. The limbs 12, 13 of the fastener 10 are then inserted through the apertures 33 and 34 in the reflector 32 and over the tube 35, and are pressed through the slots 30 and 31 in the retainer 11. The parallel leading edges 25:: and 26a of the feet are inclined in the same general direction as the spaced slots 30 and 31 and consequently the feet will enter the slots easily.

As the fastener 10 is forced downwardly and the prongs in each foot pass through the slots 30 and 31 respectively the limbs 12 and 13 are twisted. As soon as the prongs have passed through the slots the limbs untwist so that the neck 15 and 16 of each limb lies across the width of a slot and the prongs engage the undersurface of the retainer preventing withdrawal of the feet through the slots.

In order to snap engage the feet 17 and 18 through the slots 30 and 31 the fastener 10 is forced downwardly against the resilience of the web 14 which bears down on the reflector 32 and tube 35. Consequently in the finished assembly the fastener is under tension and holds the reflector 32 securely against the tube 35.

A plurality of fasteners are preferably used along the length of the heating tube in the manner described herein, the reflector being provided with a series of suitably spaced apertures for the reception of the limbs of each fastener.

A modification of the fastener 16 is indicated generally at 49 in FIGURE 9.

The fastener 49 is similar to the fastener 10 and comprises two substantially parallel limbs 41 and 42 joined by a web 43.

Each limb 41 and 42 has a neck of reduced Width, only one of which is shown at 44 in FIGURE 10, a foot 45 and 4-6 respectively and a pair of prongs 47, 48 and 49, 59 respectively in each foot.

The neck of each limb 41 and 42 and that part of the foot and the limb immediately adjacent the neck is twisted out of the general plane of the limb as shown in FIG- URE 10.

During the twisting operation the leading end 51 and 52 respectively of the feet 45 and 46 are held in the same plane as the upper part of the limbs adjacent the web.

The prongs in each foot are bent out of the plane of the adjacent neck to opposite sides thereof and similarly shown in FIGURE 11.

to the fastener each foot is twisted so that the prongs are twisted out of the plane of the neck in one angular sense and the leading end of the foot is twisted out of the plane of the neck in the opposite sense.

The fastener 40 is used, as shown in FIGURE 9 to secure an elongate rectangular section member 53 to a support 54.

The support 54 has two flanges 55 and 56 each of which has a slot 57 and 58 respectively to receive one of the limbs of the fastener 40.

The slots 57 and 58 are approximately parallel and aligned to receive the feet 45 and 46 of the fastener. As the feet are inserted through the slots the limbs of the fastener twist and then snap back into their original position as soon as the prongs have passed through the slots.

In the assembled position the neck 43 and 44 of each limb extends transversely across one of the slots and the prongs engage the underside of the flange to prevent withdrawal of the fastener from the flanges.

A detail of a further modification of the fastener 10 is The modified fastener of FIG- URE 11 is similar to the fastener 10 except that each foot, only one of which is shown at 60, is spade shaped so as to have a slightly pointed leading end 61 below the neck 62. In use the pointed leading end 61 will carn into the slot into which the foot is being inserted when the slot is slightly out of alignment with the leading end and this has the advantage of all-owing considerable manufacturing tolerances. The assembly may be dismantled by twisting the feet 17, 18 so that the prongs pass back through the slots.

What I claim is:

1. An assembly of a member held to a support with the aid of a fastener, the support having two spaced apart slots, the fastener being channel-shaped and having two limbs joined by a web, a foot at the free end of each limb and a neck of reduced width adjacent the foot, a leading edge at the free end of each foot and a prong in each side edge of the foot adjacent the neck, the prongs in each limb being twisted in one angular sense with respect to the plane of the neck and the leading edge being twisted in the opposite sense with regard to the plane of the neck, the said member being embraced by the fastener and the limbs being engaged through the slots in the support whereby the neck of each limb extends transversely of a slot and the prongs in each limb engage behind the support to prevent withdrawal of the fastener and said member therefrom.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which said necks are substantially parallel.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the angle between the said slots is equal to the angle between the said leading ends of the feet.

4. An assembly of a panel held to a tubular member with the aid of a fastener and a retainer, the panel having a pair of spaced substantially parallel slots, the fastener being substantially U-shaped and having two limbs joined by a web, a foot at the free end of each limb and a neck of reduced width adjacent the foot, a leading edge at the free end of each foot and a prong in each side edge of the foot adjacent the neck, the prongs in each limb being twisted in one angular sense with respect to the plane of the neck and the leading edge being twisted in the opposite sense with regard to the plane of the neck and the retainer having a pair of spaced substantially parallel slots, the limbs of the fastener extending through the slots in the panel, embracing the tubular member and extending through the slots in the retainer, whereby the neck of each limb extends transversely of a slot in the retainer and the prongs in each limb engage behind the retainer to prevent withdrawal of the limbs therefrom.

5. An assembly of a member held to a support by a fastener, said support having two spaced-apart slots, the fastener being channel-shaped and having two limbs joined by a web, a foot at the free end of each limb and a neck of reduced width adjacent the foot, a leading edge at the free end of each foot and a prong on each side edge of the foot adjacent the neck, the opposed prongs of each foot being twisted in opposite directions with respect to the plane of said foot, said member being embraced by the fastener and the limbs being engaged through the slots in the support whereby the neck of each limb extends transversely of a slot and the opposed prongs of each foot engage behind the support to prevent withdrawal of the fastener and said member therefrom.

6. A channel-shaped fastener member for co-operattively engaging a support having spaced apertures including: a plurality of opposed limbs interconnected by a web, a foot at the free end of each Web and a reduced neck portion adjacent each foot, each foot having a leading edge and a pair of prongs at least one of which extends generally towards the other foot to provide means for engaging the surface of a support at opposite sides of spaced apertures formed therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,329,268 1/20 Dickelmann et al. 248-271 X 2,709,290 5/55 Roscnthal 24-204 3,042,113 7/62 Kramer -404 FOREIGN PATENTS 576,249 5/59 Canada.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner. 

1. AN ASSEMBLY OF A MEMBER HELD TO A SUPPORT WITH THE AID OF A FASTENER, THE SUPPORT HAVING TWO SPACED APART SLOTS, THE FASTENER BEING CHANNEL-SHAPED AND HAVING TWO LIMBS JOINED BY A WEB, A FOOT AT THE FREE END OF EACH LIMB AND A NECK OF REDUCED WIDTH ADJACENT THE FOOT, A LEADING EDGE AT THE FREE END OF EACH FOOT AND A PRONG IN EACH SIDE EDGE OF THE FOOT ADJACENT THE NECK, THE PRONGS IN EACH LIMB BEING TWISTED IN ONE ANGULAR SENSE WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF THE NECK AND THE LEADING EDGE BEING TWISTED IN THE OPPOSITE SENSE WITH REGARD TO THE PLANE OF THE NECK, THE SAID MEMBER BEING EMBRACED BY THE FASTENER AND THE LIMBS BEING ENGAGED THROUGH THE SLOTS IN THE SUPPORT WHEREBY THE NECK OF EACH LIMB EXTENDS TRANSVERSELY OF A SLOT AND THE PRONGS IN EACH LIMB ENGAGE BEHIND THE SUPPORT TO PREVENT WITHDRAWAL OF THE FASTENER AND SAID MEMBER THEREFROM. 